Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley recently suggested that AIG executives should take a "Japanese approach" toward accepting responsibility for the collapse of the insurance giant by resigning or killing themselves. [that’s one approach]

"But I would suggest the first thing that would make me feel a little bit better toward them if they’d follow the Japanese example and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say, I’m sorry, and then either do one of two things: resign or go commit suicide.

Shockingly, it only took seconds until reporters wanted Grassley’s press flack Casey Mills to clarify the comments.

What Mills actually said:

"Senator Grassley has said for some time now that generally speaking, executives who make a mess of their companies should apologize, as Japanese executives do," Mills said. "He says the Japanese might even go so far as to commit suicide but he doesn’t want U.S. executives to do that."

What Mills meant to say:

"But if they want to commit seppuku , that’s cool, too," said Mills. "Just make sure I get their bonus."